


"You Did Well"

by Aithilin



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Character Study, Drabble, M/M, Narrative, introspective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-12 01:51:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4460711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aithilin/pseuds/Aithilin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurogane had seen assassins like Fai before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"You Did Well"

He had seen assassins like Fai before. 

All soft features, kind eyes, open smiles. He had seen those men and women who charmed and smoothed tensions, flirted and played their way close to targets; patiently whittled away at caution and uncertainty until they could complete whatever mission they had. He had seen them in the employ of the Empress– men and women who hid in the Court with bright smiles and kind words, who flirted their way into confidences and beds, and gathered information when not killing. He had seen them more in the employ of enemies. 

He had cut them down before they could get close. Chased them off his princess before they could enchant her with their masks and tricks. He had stood guard against them and felt no remorse at wiping the smiles from their face.

Now, sometimes, he wondered at them. Compared the memories of vicious strikes with small blades and self administered doses of poison (he hated when they took their own poison, he thought it was the cowards’ way out of a good fight then– now he wondered at what fear drove them to end their life before punishment over a failure could be dealt out) to what he knew of Fai. His Fai. The bright smiles and wide eyes, and endless kindnesses of his Fai. 

He wondered if all those strange people he had once killed– the ones he named cowards and weak because of their charms and tricks– had just been pawns like Fai had been. Tricked, used, manipulated because they were already broken. If they could have been saved and freed, just as Fai had been. 

He had seen Fai with the same desperation and steel as the assassins he used to hunt. Had seen him charm his way through the good graces of courts and kings and librarians and scholars to get them information for their travels. He had seen Fai kill from a distance with small blades and wicked darts. Knew that the man was versed in poisons and potions, and his magic could easily be laid in traps and weapons. 

And he saw the sadness that touched the edges of Fai’s kindness with each new “mission” completed. With each manipulation and lie he had to twist to get his family where they needed to go. 

Kurogane used to say “you did well.”

He would pat the blond’s shoulder and take over for the killing. He would turn Fai away from the last moments to take the kid away with whatever information they needed. When killing wasn’t necessary to get away with their prizes, he would drag Fai away from the target they had used to keep moving– not let him see the looks of hurt and betrayal and rage as warlords and power-mad scholars and magicians guarding deep secrets cursed Fai for his lies. 

“You did well” stopped being praise long before the end of their journey. 

Kurogane had known assassins who moved and spoke and acted like Fai. They visited him in Suwa– or tried to– once it was clear that Suwa was a rising power in support of the Empress again. 

He woke more than once to see a body in the garden and Fai– with his kind, sad eyes–standing over it. But he woke more often to Fai and a wary would-be killer sharing tea at the breakfast table– Fai charming information with promises (that would be honoured) of safety and a new life– both bruised and fresh from a fight. When they had their information, the relieved men and women sent to hurt them would be sent away to farms and villages under Kurogane’s protection; where he could keep an eye on them, but let them live peaceful lives. 

Sometimes now, as Kurogane muttered “you did well” and kissed the top of Fai’s head, he wondered if Fai thought the same. As the kindhearted assassins, who tried to make their lies and tricks and deaths as painless as possible, who hid behind smiles and kind words, and fearful caution, started a new life; he wondered if Fai counted that among the lives he’s saved.


End file.
